University Communications

Opening avenues for people with hearing aids/cochlear implants to hear sweet music

Once again, Minot State University and the Minot Sertoma Club are partnering to make another MSU facility more enjoyable for people with hearing aids and cochlear implants. This time, Minot Sertoma has a $5,000 matching grant from the St. Joseph’s Community Health Foundation of Minot to install an induction loop system at MSU Summer Theatre’s Amphitheater.

Last June with MSU’s endorsement and matching funding from the Minot Area Community Foundation, Minot Sertoma contracted to install induction looping in Ann Nicole Nelson Hall, a performance hall.

“The amphitheater is just another step in making these area performance theaters useable by those with hearing devices equipped with telecoils, said Neil Scharpe, Minot Sertoma board chair.

Induction loop systems turn sound into a magnetic wave which can be then picked up by a hearing aid equipped with a telecoil. The magnetic wave is translated back to sound directly to the listener without the usual background noise often experienced by those with hearing devices.

To celebrate this milestone, the Minot Sertoma Club is providing a voucher for the March 31-April 3 production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” or the first performance of Summer Theatre to anyone with a hearing aid or cochlear implant. Vouchers can be obtained by contacting a hearing professional or contacting the club directly at 858-3596. Club members are asking those with vouchers to complete a listening experience survey to receive feedback on their experience.

Sertoma, derived from its mission of service tomankind, is a century-old international service club with a focus on hearing health. The Minot Sertoma Club has a 56-year history of emphasizing that mission in the Minot area.